Reply Appreciated: US Army and Marines

Might help if you shared WHY you seek a military career.

slackerdom wrote:

Might help if you shared WHY you seek a military career.

I will attempt to reply to everyone who asks questions directed towards me. I am assuming you aren't a troll.

I don't want a desk job at this point in my life and want to do something that is a "young man's game". Being in the infantry would offer exactly that.

I want to be in a leadership position and establish a brotherhood similar to that which I have developed in xc and t&f. I have a strong presence but also get along with people from different backgrounds.

I don't tolerate BS. The military isn't devoid of BS but not as bad as the civilian world.

I want to serve my country. My great grandfather, grandfather, and father were all in the military (~4 years for all three).

War is not a game. I have no delusions of grandeur often portrayed in popular culture.

I want a job that is physically demanding, requires quick thinking, and is honorable.

I hope this satisfies your question. For those who read this thread: If you have any problems/doubts with my reasons, please share.

Thanks.

My friend went into navy ocs. I think pretty much everyone got the commission they wanted.

navy ocs wrote:

My friend went into navy ocs. I think pretty much everyone got the commission they wanted.

Individuals in the Navy are not interested in being on the front lines. Those joining the Army and Marine Corps are more inclined to be infantryman; therefore, the competition would be greater.

As I said I don't want a desk job. So the Air Force isn't for me, since my vision isn't good enough to be a pilot.

Why infantry? A smart person and good athlete is what special programs are looking for.

Also, Navy and Air Force do have combat forces. Its just if you dont make it you really dont much to fall back on combat wise.

Can't speak to the Marine side of things, but have a lot to say about the Army side.

First of all, you don't receive a commission into any specific branch. You're commissioned as an Army Officer. Once you accept your commission you attend BCT, then OCS. At OCS, you receive your branch (Infantry, Army, Engineering, etc). These days, the biggest factor in what you branch is where you fall on the OCS order of merit list. It's a little different now than when I went through, but as I understand the new setup: At OCS, you'll earn points for a large majority of the tasks you'll do there (INCLUDING PT). The guy with the most points gets to pick his branch first, the second most points picks next, and so on and so forth. There may only be a couple of slots available in infantry, so the higher up the list you are, the better chance you'll have of getting your top choice.

Ask yourself WHY you want to serve in the infantry. Can you get the same things elsewhere? Are you okay with multiple deployments and a lot of time away from home/at training exercises? You're 'gonna get a lot of chances to go to the Army's high-speed, Hooah-type schools. This is a lot of time away from home, too. But DON'T EVER pass up an opportunity to do so. If you're okay with all of this, here's a few other things to consider ...

There is A LOT of crap that infantry lieutenants have to eat. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, will respect you when you get to your first duty station. Not your superior officers, not your men. You'll have to earn that. Coming in and telling them how you 'don't take no crap' is only gonna get you laughed at. No joke, I've seen plenty of Officers succeed or fail based on their first impression to their platoon. At the same time you're earning that respect, you'll be tasked with leading a platoon and "making it work". You'll also spend a decent amount of time behind a desk. There's a lot of gear to keep track of, and a lot of paperwork that the Bn/Co needs to finish up. Guess who gets to handle that? You'll also have to handle stuff like some dumb private going all Rambo in the local bar and getting arrested.

Not trying to dissuade you. Just trying to show you the day-to-day as an infantry officer. It's a tough job with a lot of responsibility. It has some pretty cool moments, though. Keep your eyes wide open to the realities of the thing, and be honest with yourself about whether you can deal with them. If you can, contact your local recruiter and get started applying to OCS.

Also, if you are job locked into the infantry, perhaps you should consider enlisting? Not necessarily the best idea, but it's the only way to guarantee your branch/job from the Army. OCS offers a high probability of getting that job if you can PT well and study hard, but it's still not a sure-thing.

you state with your own words that the Army is acceptable to you. so you should go with your heart, dude. you aren't Marine material. we don't want you in the Corps.

Grunt,

Thanks for the info. I understood BCT was first and OCS second.

The reality of nobody respecting me was obvious. Why would someone respect a green-horn straight out of college who has no combat experience? If I become an infantry officer, I will work hard and let my actions speak for my character.

Could you shed some light on the 18X: Special Forces Enlistment Option?

not the Marines wrote:

you state with your own words that the Army is acceptable to you. so you should go with your heart, dude. you aren't Marine material. we don't want you in the Corps.

I was leaning towards the Corps because I value their discipline and toughness. But the Army has greater advancement opportunities, the Rangers, and better equipment and facilities. I just don't feel the Corps has as many options as the Army.

1. Army and Marine Corps are very different, you should understand the key differences and see if the USMC is a match for you.

2. There are not many desk jobs in the Marine Corps; be prepared to have most of your office supplies in a wooden box ready to go on a ship or plane at all times.

3. If you are a strong performer in TBS (this is where your job is determined in the USMC) and want Infantry, you have a good chance of getting it but yes, you could get Supply. Being a Division 1 runner, you are going to get massive amounts of attention by smoking everyone on the PFT run (I assume you can do 20 pullups too) and if you are a strong leader, your chances will be very good to get Infantry. The Corps is run by Infantry Officers and at the end of the day they want the best guys in the Infantry, but they do have to spread it around a bit. Of course anyone who can see straight with half a brain goes Aviation.

Infantry Officer wrote:

I don't tolerate BS. The military isn't devoid of BS but not as bad as the civilian world.

I was never in the military, but from every veteran I've spoken with you have the above backwards. There is more BS in the military than outside it.

go with it then. the Army is for you. Marine officers have to lead United State Marines, that's not for you.

Capt. Blizzardo,

I have run 4:10 and 8:20 so the running shouldn't be a problem. I can do 10 pullups in a minute and 50 pushups in a minute. I am also a strong swimmer having had competed for 8 years.

I respect the Marines because it is an infantry mindset.

Is it a fair assumption that MARSOC and the Rangers are comparable? I have read in multiple place that having a Ranger Tab is a MUST if you want to advance in the military.

not the Marines wrote:

go with it then. the Army is for you. Marine officers have to lead United State Marines, that's not for you.

You need to stop with the Army vs. Marines babble. How about you provide me with some meaningful insight (or constructive criticism)?

Marines utilize Af, Ar, Nv skills schools like Ranger, SEAL, mil police, BG, jump, Intelligence, language, etc. to save the Pentagon money. All Marine infantry units are used for special operations.

the Army is for you. it's the best fit. you'll be happy. good luck.

not the Marines wrote:

go with it then. the Army is for you. Marine officers have to lead United State Marines, that's not for you.

You need to stop with the Army vs. Marines babble. How about you provide me with some meaningful insight (or constructive criticism)?

Babble ? Are those words are babble to you ? If you were 16 year old, a DI like the late Jack Murtha (D-PA) could beat it into you to make you believe it. But if you are a 22 YO candidate and want to lead Marines, you better already believe it and you better bleed it or you'll be kicked out of OCS in a day.

You can find in-depth explanations online. Essentially, you are streamlined into SFAS upon completing a combined basic/infantry AIT, followed by Airborne school, and a Spec Ops prep cource. Bottom line, if you wash out at any of the SF phases, your an 11B. But at least with wings, you aren't a leg.

You can take a similar route with Ranger option, guaranteeing Airborne and RIP (Ranger Indoc Program). That would be an easier path to a high speed unit, with future option of attending SFAS.

Numerous bonuses and (if you have student loans) sudent loan repayment program incentives for college grads with these options. If you go OCS route, no such luck but you may be paid more once commissioned (especially in long run).

Caveat: A leg butter bar probably would not make as much as an e-5 with Airborne/Ranger/SF/language slot, and all the extra pay that comes with it (on top of the aforementioned enlistment bonuses).

Infantry Officer wrote:

Capt. Blizzardo,

I have run 4:10 and 8:20 so the running shouldn't be a problem. I can do 10 pullups in a minute and 50 pushups in a minute. I am also a strong swimmer having had competed for 8 years.

I respect the Marines because it is an infantry mindset.

Is it a fair assumption that MARSOC and the Rangers are comparable? I have read in multiple place that having a Ranger Tab is a MUST if you want to advance in the military.

You do have that part right, you are generally trained (12 weeks OCS and 6 mos. of TBS) to be an Infantry Officer until you go to your follow on school.

I think comparing anything in the Army to anything in the Marines is difficult. Marine units are intense, special operations units are super intense, sometimes a little too wound up and edgy but they are sharp and have a degree of pride that I don't think is matched in the Army. I can see your statement about Rangers being true, because the other outfits seem like a joke, but Rangers do take their jobs seriously and morale/leadership seems better than reg infantry.

You can advance many ways in the Marines, good people get recognized all around and there are opportunities to redefine your career after 3 years to do something different or attend Amphibious Warfare School in Quantico and go back and do something a little different. The USMC is small and apparently getting smaller, so nothing is forever.

On your fitness, I said, everyone in OCS and TBS will know who you are when you run, but do not show up to Quantico if you cannot do 20 pullups and 60 situps in a minute (pushups in Marines not really relevant). Both of those parts of the PFT are seen as easy and you will look like a jerk if you can run that fast and not score 100's on the other part of the PFT. Swimming not really relevant either. I do remember some decent runners wilting when they put a heavy pack on, that's bad too. Marine Officer training is tough, little sleep, long hikes, and some good athletes are laid low by simple blisters from marches and crappy boots. I was only a 16:20 5K guy who never ran track anywhere, but had upper body strength so that worked well. I say this not because you won't be looking good with your numbers, but you are trying to stand out to get what you want. I will admit it is not the ideal recipe for leadership but the Marines are fanatical about "presence" and people with 300 PFT's. Presence can be defined a lot of ways but tall, lean or muscular goes a long way unless you are a blockhead or a-hole.